Sealed Deal
by LigerJager
Summary: Hanataro had hoped that his...situation was one, large, cosmic joke. Considering that he, the most unlikely candidate to be chosen, and his, never should have existed in the first place, zanpakuto it was the only explanation. Problem: it wasn't.
1. Especially, Maybe, Supposedly

**Sealed Deal**

By

LigerJager

……

Naruto © Masashi Kishimoto

Bleach © Kubo Tite

* * *

Chapter 1: Especially, Maybe, Supposedly

* * *

Naruto had always supposed dying would be a peaceful experience. After all, there would be no feeling, no getting back up, no soldiering on…nothing.

At least that's what he'd thought in the scant moments he'd allowed his mind to turn morbid. See, he was never really one to dwell on the depressing subjects because: A) he was always too busy pranking to allow that to happen, B) trying to get some sort of acknowledgement of his existence, C) trying to pass Academy.

He supposed that maybe, just maybe, even jinchuuriki like him would be able to reunite with dead loved ones and that perhaps he'd get to meet his parents. That was _after _he reached his dream of being the Hokage of Konohagakure, of course.

But nothing ever happened like that, especially when Konoha's Number One Most Surprising Ninja is involved. And even with his insanely handy good-luck, it seemed that even that finally ran out.

After all, if he was lucky and allowed to rest in peace, he wouldn't be where he was now. Floating endlessly in a black void of nothingness…waiting.

Waiting for something to happen.

Just…waiting.

* * *

"Zanpakutō: Kai!"

* * *

_:Tsuzuku:_

* * *

A/N: I've been sitting on this concept for a while. Hopefully I do it justice.

LJ 8/23/2009


	2. Awakening

**Sealed Deal**

By

LigerJager

……

Naruto © Masashi Kishimoto

Bleach © Kubo Tite

……

Chapter 2: Awakening

"_It always puzzled me when I thought about something I once heard, 'A scattered dream that's like a far off memory. A far off memory that's like a scattered dream…' (Sora), it makes sense now. Here in this black nothingness. Whatever may come, I will face them and I will win. That is my Nindo. My way of the Ninja. "-Naruto_

……

…………

Soul Society

_Seireitei _

Shinigami Academy

_Morning _

…………

It was official.

They were getting their bokutō today and Hanatarō could not wait!

What filled him was not the ordinary few butterflies in the stomach anticipatory adrenalin. No. This was the full-on running around insanely for no reason, jumping off the bed while trying to do ridiculously hard aerials, and practically bouncing off the walls, all with an insanely happy grin plastered on his face.

Of course all of which happened within the privacy of his dorm room. It wouldn't do for him to ruin his hard earned image of a timid nobody. People wouldn't expect too much from him. And that was just the way he liked it. Hanatarō wasn't a slacker by any means. He just didn't like attention and was fine with being passed over for a job.

Still…

He was so excited. No, _ecstatic_ would be a better way to describe his current mood…in the most general, broadly ambiguous sense, of course.

The raven haired, teenaged shinigami couldn't let his emotions get too out of hand. Practically speaking, they hadn't even gotten the wooden weapons yet.

The boy couldn't stop the corners of his lips from twitching almost spastically causing him to mentally sigh. Even after all these years, he still hadn't completely gotten rid of his hyperactive streak, the very trait that had gotten him into so much trouble in Rukongai and made him stand out. Sure he did a pretty good job (in his humble opinion) at keeping a low profile.

But…

It seemed like his true nature was still around to loudly protest being shelved behind a meek, almost cowardly facade. He had learned, while living in the outer district that standing out wasn't necessarily a good thing, in fact he had more than a few scars to show for his recklessness.

So he determined to keep his head down and graduate without much ado. If anything he also had something in the back of his mind telling him that hiding himself would be for the best…for now.

Besides, he would have an advantage because of his reputed lack of drive. Or was that aggressiveness?

It didn't matter. Today was the day that signified their first real steps towards being full-fledged shinigami.

With a last grin, the young Yamada calmly stepped out of his dorm room and made his way towards the first of his classes. Their practice weapons would be given to them at the end of the day.

That way it would give the shinigami hopefuls an entire evening to become acquainted with the feel of the sword. Since, up until now, they had been weaponless, the students would have to get used to the feel of having a weapon by their sides anyways.

It was just, after all the time he had spent at the place; Hanatarō was just itching to get started. And a little patience never hurt. He just wished that they didn't have to wait until the end of the day.

……

Hanatarō swiftly shut the door before eagerly tearing into the package. As he pulled away the butcher paper and string that protected the training sword, the grin found its way onto his lips.

Finally.

It was finally here. The teen didn't care if it was only a stand-in for the real thing. He finally was taking a real step forward into the world of the shinigami.

Gently the youth pulled out the weapon and took it in. This would be his weapon for the rest of his afterlife.

They were to take their practice swords back and try channeling reiatsu through them. A drill that was designed to help sharpen their control and prepare the students for the actually zanpakutō when they received at the end of their final year.

That went without saying that if one student were to show some extraordinary abilities, accommodations would be made for them.

A prime example was cadet who just recently graduated, Gin-something. The teen shrugged mentally having never met the guy. He wasn't that important.

Hanatarō shook his head. He needed to focus on channeling his reiatsu.

Taking the traditional seiza position on his matted floor, the young shinigami held his newly acquired tool and began manipulating his energy. He had to get this right. So once he had most of his reiatsu gathered, the youth poured the energy into the wood and spoke the release spell that would be crucial for the bonding with their live steel later on.

Their theory teacher had once told them that there was a slight chance that they could contact their swords soul even with the bokutō. How ever he had emphasized that it was only a theory and that to their knowledge, no one has ever done it.

That however didn't stop many hopefuls from trying.

"Zanpakutō: Kai!"

……

The blond hadn't thought much really about his situation. Only that he was very drowsy and suspended in a black void of nothingness.

Then he felt it. A small tug.

It brought his lethargic mind back to sharp awareness. Something was going to happen and if his gut feeling was anything to go by, it was something important…something big.

Naruto felt as though he was being pulled somewhere gently at first and then overtaken a falling sensation. He instinctively closed his eyes as the velocity of his fall increased, before snapping them open.

He twisted his body into an upright position so that he could land feet first and properly. Even if he was dead, to his knowledge, he still didn't fancy the idea of landing on his head.

So he fell, waiting for either the sensation to end or himself to land. Or he did before being jerked sideways and sent flying in a completely different direction.

……

Hanatarō knew the chances of anything happening were slim at best. So he expected that maybe there would be slight fluctuation in the reiatsu sensitive wood or the draining of his spiritual energy.

What he hadn't expected was to be bowled over by a loud voice that left his eardrums ringing. Especially, since it knocked him out of his kneeling position, literally.

**'_WHAT THE HELL!!'_**

* * *

_:Tsuzuku:_

* * *

A/N: I changed the format of this story and modeled it after one of my favorite crossovers: The Leaf that Found its Way by indogirl7

I all credit for this change goes to her, not me. Enjoy.

I'd love to read your speculations and whatever crazy ideas you might want to add to this fict. Creativity and Naruto-ness are always appreciated. I'm just trying to work through writers block for my other ficts, so I apologize if this story seems rough and dry in parts.

**Notes: **

-Bokutō (木刀, "wood sword"): or more commonly known as a Bokken in the west, is a wooden sword used for training is several martial arts.

-Shinigami (死神**?**, "death kami"): Death Gods, Soul Reapers, are souls that protect the human world from Hollows and that lead people to Soul Society, a place reigned by souls in another dimension.

-Zanpakutō (斬魄刀**?**, literally "soul-cutting sword"): a weapon which reflects aspects of their soul and personality. (A/N: Mwahaha…)

LJ 8/30/09


	3. Surreality

**Sealed Deal **

By

LigerJager

……

Naruto © Masashi Kishimoto

Bleach © Kubo Tite

……

Chapter 3: Surreality

"'_I've been having these weird thoughts lately....Like, is any of this for real...or not?' (Sora) __I don't know who I am anymore. Are those my dreams or are they his memories? Am I him? Or is he me? I don't know. When this is all over, nothing will be the same."-_ _Hanatarō_

……

…………

Soul Society

_Seireitei _

Shinigami Academy

_Pre-Dawn Hours_

…………

Hanatarō groaned before starting awake. What happened? He remembered channeling his reiatsu and then…nothing.

The black haired shinigami tried sitting up from his sprawled position and winced. His stiff muscle protested loudly as well as the tell-tale signs of extreme reiatsu exhaustion.

The youth frowned at the thought. He hadn't molded enough energy to cause that.

'_So, you're finally awake.'_

Hanatarō jumped at the voice and then groaned in pain as his stiff neck and sore muscle protested his sudden movements. He cut off his retaliatory retort when a thought struck him and sent him looking around the room wildly.

Perched on his desk, seated Indian-style was a boy-ish looking figure. Only he looked like nothing the teen had ever seen before. Hanatarō wasn't sure what age the person was. Sure he looked human, but his manner of dress was puzzling, different.

'_You're short.'_

And all Hanatarō could do was stare dumbfounded. Until the words registered.

"I am not!!"

Generally speaking, no one was allowed in the cadet's quarters without their express permission and even then it was only for class related work. It had something to do with the reiatsu spells on the room entrances, to ensure focus and academic success, and what not. He'd never really put much thought into it.

'_Yeah, you are.'_

Until now.

"Who are you and how'd you get in here?" he pointed a finger accusingly before groaning and holding his throbbing head. A small probe told the young shinigami that he must have hit his head on something. There was a small goose egg on the back of his skull.

Naruto watched the boy wince as he felt the raised bruise in mild amusement. He hadn't meant to startle the other boy into fainting, however that didn't mean he didn't find humor in the entire situation.

He cocked his head to the side, studying the cadet.

The boy was small, smaller that what he should have been. And his body language spoke of both brash courage and great timidity. A juxtaposition if he ever saw one.

Naruto himself had been in awkward and strange situations before, but that was when he was alive. Judging by the clothing that the kid wore and the surrounding décor, it wasn't too much of a stretch for his imagination to piece together the clues to this puzzle.

He was at a school of some sort or at least in a place where uniforms were required. The room itself was obviously meant for study because it lacked any sort of personal touch, which could also mean military, so that meant…

He obviously wasn't in Konoha anymore… or the Elemental nations for that matter. It wasn't really anything substantial like a map or something real obvious, but the feeling, _a knowing_, was just there.

Which begged the question: where was he?

"What happened?" Thank kami his brain started to work again. Hanatarō really didn't want to stay dumbstruck. The blond just cocked his head the side, reminding the cadet vaguely of a puppy.

'_I should be asking you that.'_ Then almost as if it was a passing thought,_ 'You passed out by the way.'_

"From _what?!_" The disbelief was written all over Hanatarō's features. "There's nothing in here that I should have passed out from."

'_Except for hitting your head on the floor, or say, oh, I don't know maybe a surprise?' _Sarcasm laced the last part of Naruto's sentence.

The young cadet didn't care if he was acting out of turn. This was his room and his privacy was being invaded by a person of unknown origins. A someone who was uninvited and most definitely unwelcome.

The creaks in his back and muscles protested forcing the younger male to tend to more personal matters. Groaning, Hanatarō made his way over to the small bathroom to clean up. If it was morning already like the…person…said then his classes would be starting shortly.

"How long was I out?"

'_How should I know?' _the blonde shrugged though it went unseen, _'long enough for the sun to set and most of the night, by my estimation.'_

Hanatarō stopped dead in his tracks. He'd been out for that long? Was that even possible? Then again, he mused, his reiatsu exhaustion could explain that. He looked over his shoulder.

"How'd you get here?"

'_That's…something I'm still trying to figure out.'_ The young academy cadet found himself staring into sparking, fiery, cerulean blue eyes. _'And that's something I think you can help me with.'_

"Eh?"

The cadet completely turned around now. How could he help this guy?

"Wait. What?! That makes no sense."

'_Um, yes it does.'_

The shinobi watched, fascinated by all the emotions racing across the teen's features. Was he ever like that? So easy to read?

Mentally the blonde snorted. Of course he was. But then again he never would have gained his friends if he was as emotionally constipated as Neji had been or as angry as Sasuke-teme.

"No it doesn't. You-" the young cadet pointed in Naruto's direction, "barged in, into my room without my permission."

'_No I didn't.'_

"Yes you did."

'_No, I only found out where I was when I bowled you over. And since there is no one else here, I can only guess that it was something you did.'_

"How do you know it's not something you did?" Hanatarō shot back. He was becoming more and more annoyed and frustrated.

'_Because I'm dead.'_

"Oh."

'_Yeah, oh.' _

"Wait a minute. You can't be dead."

'_Um, yes I can.'_

"No you can't, because if you're dead… how did you body slam me?"

'_How would I know? I just got here.' _Naruto shrugged, _'I was just floating along minding my own business then I get sucked down and then tossed off to the side where WHAM!! I run you over. Ergo, it's your fault.'_

"…" Hanatarō blinked, "Um… that's not very descriptive."

'_And since this is your place,'_ Naruto continued on. He either didn't hear or was ignoring the young shinigami-in-training, Hanatarō wasn't sure which one it was, _'you should be able to tell me.'_

"Wait a minute, just because you _'magically'_ got tossed in my direct, doesn't mean that I know what's going on." After a moment, "Why can't it have been something you did?"

'_I already told you, I'm dead. Kaput, six feet under, bought the farm, checked out, __deceased__, done for, expired, __extinct__, __gone__, gone to meet maker (though I doubt you're him), gone to reward (this doesn't seem like one to me), __lifeless__, offed, out of one's misery, passed away, perished, pushing up daisies, (supposedly) resting in peace… You want me to continue? I could go on for a while.' _

"No, I kinda get the point." The young cadet waved off, "But I'm dead too."

'_You don't __**look **__dead to me.' _

"Well neither do you."

'_What can I say? It's a talent of mine.'_

"But if you're dead then how can you be here? You should be out in Rukongai."

Naruto perked up, now they were getting somewhere. _'What's this Rukongai?'_

"You don't know?"

'_Just got here, remember?'_

"Oh right, I-Gah!! I'm late for class!!" Hanatarō wildly lunged for his wooden practice sword and made a mad dash out of the dorm room. He would deal with this later, for now he had other problems. "Don't go anywhere! I'll tell you later."

'_Well that was unexpected.'_

…….

As he watched the teen go, for his part, the blonde couldn't shake the feeling that they had met before. It was a weird sense of déjà-vu but he couldn't place it. Or was that nostalgia? He couldn't really tell.

After all, this place, wherever he was, gave him weird vibes. Kind of like he was supposed to be here and at the same time wasn't.

The blonde leaned backwards against the wall, crossing his arms in front his chest. There wasn't really anything he could do at the moment anyways. So Naruto was content to just sit and wait and let his mind wander to more important topics.

'_I wonder if they have ramen here…'_

* * *

_:Tsuzuku:_

* * *

A/N: I got a hold of the symphonic recordings for Star Wars so, um, please don't be put off if this story takes a rather…weird (?)...turn for a bit. (Grins) I'll try to contain myself. Or maybe I should just post my Naruto/Jedi Apprentice/Star Wars crossover, hmm… (Picture Sensei Naruto, ninja Obi-Wan, co-conspirator Yoda …and yeah, I'll shut up)

Tarou-san isn't going to going to be some super saiyan, Gary-sue character. He will be different (combat style, skill set, mind-set) and _different_ in **shinobi** language means deadly, but then again don't expect all seriousness. He does, after all, have Naruto with him, for better…or worse.

Your speculations and whatever crazy ideas you might want to add to this fict are more than welcome are always. And since our little medic will be more shinobi than shinigami, creativity and Naruto-ness, strategic fight sequence suggestions, traps, and cunning would be appreciated. I always did prefer a clever plot over the DBZ approach everyone seems to take. (Probably why I liked Naruto in the first place) I apologize if this story seems rough and dry in parts.

**Notes: **

-Bokutō (木刀, "wood sword"): or more commonly known as a Bokken in the west, is a wooden sword used for training is several martial arts.

-Shinigami (死神**?**, "death kami"): Death Gods, Soul Reapers, are souls that protect the human world from Hollows and that lead people to Soul Society, a place reigned by souls in another dimension.

-Zanpakutō (斬魄刀**?**, literally "soul-cutting sword"): a weapon which reflects aspects of their soul and personality. (A/N: Mwahaha…)

LJ 9/15/09


	4. Another Side

**Sealed Deal **

By

LigerJager

……

Naruto © Masashi Kishimoto

Bleach © Kubo Tite

……

Chapter 4: Another Side

"'_All my life, I've been protecting others... But now, there's no one left to protect.__' (Auron) Maybe, just maybe, this time I won't be the only one doing the protecting."-_ _Naruto_

……

…………

Soul Society

_Seireitei _

Shinigami Academy

_Early Morning Class: Zanjutsu_

…………

The wooden shouji slammed open admitting a harried looking and out of breath academy cadet. His hakama and gi were rumpled and askew. His hair was sticking up oddly in several directions. And his bokutō was barely dangling from the strap designed to hold it.

Hanatarō's tabi screeched across the wooden floor when he turned a bit too abruptly and sent him sliding into a wall with loud thud. The young cadet lay sprawled in an undignified heap, just waiting for derisive laughter to crash down.

When none came, and he was sure he was still 'alive', the young Yamada looked backwards at the room and found it empty. Not even the chairs were disturbed.

The raven haired cadet took in his situation a moment before thinking about rolling over and righting himself, and decided against it. Why would he? It wasn't like he could be humiliated anymore by his class seeing as they weren't present. And he couldn't muster the energy to move, the muscles in his neck and back protested vehemently at their abuse, especially after this morning.

He knew class met in this room and always at the same time in the early hours of the morning. His sensei was something of an enthusiast about the discipline.

Kashimaru-sensei followed the old adage, "The early bird catches the worm." which meant they had to rise before the sun and hopefully gain some skill in the art of swordsmanship. Some days she had them spend extra time on the kata. On another day she had them running drills that left more than one student in the dust or limping to their dorm.

As he felt his head, Hanatarō winced as he took stock of the newest goose-egg added to his collection. As if having that weird guy in his room wasn't enough, it appeared that he forgot something obvious about his zanjutsu class…like where they were meeting.

His sensei was not lenient and tardiness was harshly met. She never tolerated those she viewed as mocking her chosen discipline, especially from her pupils.

…Which she seemed to have decided his mere presence did by the veracity with which she went after him. At least it seemed that way every time he stepped into the room.

Hanatarō wasn't sure if he was glad of that or not. It definitely kept the bullies away as they never wanted to draw her attention towards them. However that didn't help him solve his current situation…where his class was.

The young shinigami-to-be sighed once more. At least he didn't have another class until later in the afternoon. However that didn't help him solve his problem. What was h-

'_Hiya,'_ the chipper voice paused_, 'that doesn't look very comfortable.'_

The young teen glared outright as he looked up. There looking down at him was the intruder whose blue eyes landed at his predicament filled with mirth. It was something he did not appreciate.

He rolled over and pushed himself into a sitting position, leaning against the classroom wall. "I thought I told you to stay in my room."

'_I got bored.'_ The cadet growled at that, causing the ninja raise an eyebrow, _'You seriously didn't expect me to just stay put, did you?'_

"Yes, yes I did." The young medic snapped, somehow finding the energy to be irritated. Hanatarō's glare turned into a scowl as he looked down at his hands. "Someone might have seen you."

Naruto looked blankly at the academy student. There wasn't anyone there. He would know, because he looked. It was strange to him because such a large building should have had more people wandering about.

'_That's not possible. No one is around.'_

The academy cadet looked up startled. "What do you mean?" There was always someone around. And since he knew this was not the academy graduation, the stranger had to be mistaken.

'_I had a look around. No one seems to be in the building.'_ Naruto crossed his arms and stared down at the teen.

"No you couldn't have. You would have been seen."

'_And I just told you no one was around, weren't you listening.' _The blonde's annoyance began to leak through his voice.

"And I'm telling you, you were mistaken." The young student made a gesture at the room, which was ironically empty, "take a look around, this is an academy. There's always someone here."

Naruto opened his mouth and then huffed, _'Fine then, have a look yourself.'_

"Fine, I will." Hanatarō snapped immediately hopping to his feet before groaning and sinking to the floor again, holding his head.

At that moment Naruto didn't know whether to be amused or annoyed. Even _he_ at his dullest moments remembered head injuries. Not that Sakura helped, hell, everyone smacked him upside the head. It was like his hair painted it some kind of target.

The shinobi crouched beside the student, who was obviously trying to keep from being nauseous. He knew a little triage from his work in the field, all he needed was to get a good look into the eyes to see if he had a concussion or not. The problem was said youth had his eyes scrunched together tightly while he gently rubbed his aching skull.

Naruto being a shinobi, and a rather bull-headed one at that, was hardly perturbed by the obstacle. He had been, done, and survived too many things in his life to not be able to handle or at least distract an _academy student_ from something as small as a little head tauma.

'_You said this was an academy.'_ Hanatarō could almost feel the curiosity rolling off his visitor, _'What is it for?'_

"Training," the brunette answered as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. He cracked open an eye, mildly relieved that the world was no longer spinning, and took in the confused expression. Obviously the guy didn't know what for.

Annoyance welled up in Hanatarō. Really, how could anyone not know of the Academy?

"This is where we train to be Shinigami." The young shinigami-in-training felt about his trying to make sure that he hadn't sustained anymore injuries from his morning rush.

Naruto, on the other hand, was stunned. He was certain that his brain stalled in that moment.

'_Seriously.' _ The sheer disbelief stopped Hanatarō cold. Naruto's incredulous expression told him it was no joke. _'You have training for that?'_

Hanatarō was incensed. How stupid could this guy be?

"_No_, they just toss us into the world of the living dressed in a big raggedy cloak and a scythe," he intoned sarcastically.

'_No need to be such an ass,'_ the shinobi muttered, throwing a mild glare at the angry youth to which the teenager sputtered indignantly.

'_Well,'_ he straightened out of his crouch, satisfied that he got his answer about the teen's health and a little information about his current location. His observations had been right on the money, '_it doesn't seem like you have a concussion if you can pull that attitude.'_

Hanatarō's annoyance jumped ten-fold at the reprimanding tone. He wasn't a child anymore. The idea made him snap. After all he hadn't survived Rukongai's bloodiest district just to be put down by an idiot who didn't even know what the Academy was.

"I wasn't the one being the idiot. What did you seriously think Shinigami do?" giving the blonde no time to answer, he continued ranting. Naruto slightly surprised, quickly schooled his features into an impassive mask. Had any other shinigami or cadet looked into the classroom they would have found the strange sight of a student yelling at air, "We have to be trained in our duties. We save souls, fight hollows, make sure the natural order is balanced. Stuff like that!!" Hanatarō's voice rose towards the conclusion of his rant.

The young academy student, annoyed and not caring that he was missing class, drew himself up while throwing a glare at the ninja and stalked out of the room. Forget classes, he needed some time to cool off and think. The blonde stranger had just insulted him to the very core and he needed to be somewhere else before he did something drastic, like let his temper get the best of him.

Naruto, slightly amused at the reaction, watched the teen go, waiting a moment before following. The kid slightly reminded him of a weird cross between Tsunade Baa-chan and Hinata. All shy and quiet only to explode in a fit of temper when he was insulted. He honestly didn't think he said anything offensive to the boy, but then again Baa-chan was always smacking him for opening his mouth before using his brain.

His amusement slowly filtered out as he took stock of his situation. He was alone. And to make matters worse…

'_Death gods,'_ the shinobi muttered, _'I'm in an academy for baby death gods.'_ This had to be some form of divine, Iruka-sensei influenced, punishment or something. He knew his old academy teacher was just laughing at him. The shinobi glowered at the thought.

'_I hate school.' _

……

Hanatarō stalked down the hallways towards the meditation gardens. He hated it when he lost his temper. He hated it even more when he lost his composure. But what he hated the most was that he didn't know how to react to the man.

'_It doesn't seem like you have a concussion if you can pull that attitude…'_

When the full intent of those words struck him…

It was all he could do to keep from bawling right there on the spot and tackling the man. For the first time in a long, long time someone actually showed concern for him.

As an individual.

As a person.

As…Hanatarō.

The teenager grit his teeth and willed himself to calm down. He was _not_ tha-some weak-willed crybaby. Tears never got him anywhere, ever. And something that small, _that inconsequential,_ shouldn't have been able to upset him.

He surmised that his emotions were off-kilter because of his fatigue. He obviously hadn't slept very well the night before and his boy ached in proof. Add to the fact he stressed greatly over his zanjutsu class and attendance and he felt acted rashly. A nasty habit he had been trying to break himself of, and obviously not doing a very good job of if this relapse was anything to judge by.

Hanatarō reached for that protective anger. It was his first line of defense.

More importantly, though, it led to his second one. His near impenetrable wall of apathy.

He wasn't _that_ emotional idiot anymore. He didn't need anyone's concern anymore. After all, he had taken care of himself for this long.

More importantly, he had acquired a type of peace in his existence. All he had to do was smile wanly and give some meek apologies for whatever infraction he did and most just left him be. After all they somehow got the idea that avoidance of violence (and therefore effort) was cowardice. Who in their right minds would want to stay around a coward anyways?

And that was the way he liked it.

Hanatarō stopped at the small archway that led into the zen-like gardens and took a deep breath. This place was his favorite next to the hideaway that was his room. Hardly any of the academy students came to this place, which was a shame. The Shinōreijutsuin probably had one of the most extensive gardens in Seireitei, at least compared to the Nobles quarter at the Thirteen Divisions.

He would come here to think or to relax when he didn't want to shut himself up in his room. He did enough of that already.

Shaking off his fatigue and soreness from his tumbles the night before and earlier this morning, Hanatarō took a step out into the serene atmosphere of the garden. It was a place where the small bridges spanned ponds and streams that were adorned with water lilies and koi fish. There were the colorful Japanese maple, blooming Sakura blossoms, carefully trimmed pines and small alcoves for meditation and reflection. It was a small sort of paradise.

Hanatarō's favorite place was a small shaded area on the edge of a pond, where a weeping willow draped over the spot as though protecting it from the outside world.

And it was to this place he made his way.

It wasn't too far in and afforded him some measures of convenience when he needed to get to his next class. He had discovered it during his first week at the Academy. He had been a bit overwhelmed with the sudden change from the slums of the South 80th district in Rukongai to the immaculate and structured lifestyle of the 'upper class' souls.

The emotions that welled up from his run-ins with those souls were a different topic altogether. And ones he'd rather not dwell on.

His stress had been at an all-time high either way and he had so find a safe haven from the world. So when he found the small, out of the way alcove, he claimed it as his own.

The young student immediately plopped himself down the moment his came to his favorite spot. Hanatarō relished being able to just be. And it was a bit of time before he allowed his thoughts to filter through.

Most prevalent, though, were his concerns about the lack of personnel within the building. He had been forced to concede the point that his walk had been strangely uninterrupted. And that the classes that normally should have been full weren't. So he began thinking over the possible reasons the Academy could be empty.

What was going on today anyways? It was between semesters, hence the acquisition of practice swords. Graduation had just passed. And it was…

Oh.

He forgot.

Today was the day the Soutaicho himself and a few of the first division had been scheduled to show the Academy students an object lesson of the real dangers of mortal realm. Why the entire academy went was because it was, well, a once in a lifetime opportunity t gain wisdom from their founder and to, hopefully, watch some of his subordinates, or even himself, in action.

Everyone knew that the old shinigmai was the founder of the school, it was one of the first lessons taught in history. Also that his skills were almost legendary and those lucky enough to get personal tutelage are strong enough to possibly make their way to the rank of Captain…or at the very least a ticket into the Gotei 13.

Perhaps, he would make it that far? Not that power and prestige didn't slightly appeal to him, it was more for the acknowledgment. Hanatarō could freely admit that having people look at you for you was something he desperately wanted again. But at the same time, his long ingrained instincts from his street life in Rukongai warred with the reason that it would be suicidal to expose himself.

After all, everyone knew the the bigger you were, the larger the target you made. And the larger target you made would mean the more likely it was that you fell.

Hanatarō stared off into to nothing as he withdrew from his surroundings. While his life was vastly better, he still found himself disappointed. Perhaps it was more that the entire after life was a letdown and the only hope you really have is to make it into the shinigami corps or be reincarnated. He wondered if it was all wor-

'_So this is where you've been hiding,'_ the annoyingly familiar voice spoke up, breaking the academy cadet from his reverie. Hanatarō sightless eyes sharpened back into focus before tilting his head downward in acceptance.

It took a bit but with his super secret, super-cool ninja skills and experience, Naruto had been able to locate the only other person he'd interacted with in this place. Not that it was hard, the boy's signature shone like a beckon in the stillness of this place.

Resigned to having a tag along for who knows how long, Hanatarō didn't really answer the implied question. Instead he opted to observe his fellow soul. And what he found intrigued him.

He took his time as he really scrutinized his visitor. The man very simply could be described in a word: ageless.

The male had rich spiky blonde hair gave the impression of being untamable. Each of his cheeks were adorned with three black slashes which he had no idea of what to make of. And most noticeably were the eyes. They were a shade of blue he had never seen on anyone before and they sparked, like a fire.

Other than that the boy's? Man's? Youth's? height was a few inches taller than his own, though even he couldn't really be a good judge of that either. His clothing were weird too and he didn't really know how to describe them, except for what looked like some kind of whitish-cream coat that had a hood draping over his shoulders and sleeves that ran down his arms. It was simply made and obviously designed for convenience.

The blonde looked like a fighter. The very type of person Hanatarō wanted to avoid at all cost. Unfortunately, as events seemed to have turned out, he was the only one here and the the most convenient target to be latched on to.

Naruto also took his time to sizing up, err, evaluating his…host. The boy looked about fourteen if he had to guess, though his short stature made that hard to pinpoint. His white uniform managed to dwarf him as well. He could also see the thinly veiled annoyance that the boy was trying to smother.

And he hadn't really done anything yet.

The boy obviously wasn't a confrontational combat type judging by his build. It was more lithe than stocky, excellent for agility and speed. A wind type if ever he saw one (and no, that was not wishful thinking).

Though, he supposed, the boy had a more civilian presence to him. Well, considering they were at a school and the boy was rather young, it stood to reason that they would have a different feel to them. Kind of like the brats back home when they attended academy…

The ninja took stock of his surroundings. It was peaceful and secluded, giving the small spot an air of complete serenity. He could see why the teenager came here.

It had the same feeling as that clearing in Wave. That first real mission long, long ago.

With a grin, the ninja flopped down next to the academy student, who jumped at the movement. Before shifting in his seat slightly and went back to contemplating the water again. After a while he began to fidget before the silence became too much.

'_So…'_ Naruto began, _'why do you want to be a Shinigami?'_

No one could ever accuse the ninja of subtlety…or tact. Hanatarō, who had gone back to observing and ignoring the ninja, sharply looked back, startled. Why was the guy asking something so personal?

'_Everyone has a reason, what's yours?'_ the blonde elaborated at the stupefied look sent his way. Yeesh, this kid needed to chill.

Though, he supposed, neither of them had a reason to trust each other, not that that stopped him from talking to anyone anyway he pleased. But he really didn't expect an answer. He just needed to get the boy to do something, talking was preferred, but not necessary. Listening was just fine too.

Perhaps he should have gone with Kakashi-sensei's approach and introduced himself like that?

Hanatarō minutely sighed. He had a feeling the blonde loved to talk and that his peace was unlikely to return. The man simply seemed utterly incapable of remaining quiet.

"Safety." He muttered.

Naruto frowned, _'really? Is life so tough here that you need to go to school to get away from it?'_

"It was."

'_What are you going to do with your skills once you're done with this…academy thingy?'_

"I haven't decided yet." Hanatarō shrugged. At this point he didn't really care where his skills went as long as they went somewhere.

'_Why not to protect someone?'_ Naruto suggested helpfully, _'Don't you have anyone precious to you?'_

Hanatarō stood, leaving a confused Naruto on the ground.

He was tired. The day had been confusing. He had been emotional in a way he though no male had a right to be. This annoying guy wasn't leaving him alone. And for some reason he could feel more than tranquil apathy again, something he _**didn't**_ want, ever.

The young outcast caught shinobi's questioning gaze. Naruto was struck by the tired, dead look (one he never wanted to see again, on anyone) the teen gave him, and it caused shivers to run up and down his spine. However what froze him was the boy's next words before he disappeared into the building.

"Not anymore."

* * *

_::Tsuzuku::_

_

* * *

_

A/N: IT'S ALLIIIVVVEEE!!!

Yes!Yesyesyesyes!! My Hard Drive was restored to me by an angel in disguise, or at least a miracle worker. So now, I've got all my snazzy quotes, comebacks lines, and…(MWAHAHA) oh so fun situations!! (I pity my poor shinigami, but at the same time… *Cackles Evilly*).

Insanity, here we come!!

Now hopefully this chapter clarified that fact that, yes, Naruto did manifest in Hanataro's room (not his sword-scape) and, yes, their partnership will probably defy all known rules of the spirit realm. At this point Hana and Naruto don't know he's the zanpakuto. They'll figure it out…eventually. Of course chaos, insanity, danger, and hilarity will follow them wherever they go…as well as a few changes in the canon plot line.

Naruto…I didn't decide on one age for him. He will be unique. His state of being, if you will, will reflect Hantaro. It was a bit for comedic effect in some instances and others that reflect the situation and Hana's maturity.

Time-wise, this is probably a little before the Reverse the Pendulum Arc. Ichimaru Gin had just graduated Academy. Hanatarou just ended of his first year (which is why he looks like a chibi!! He's just a freshman!!), hence the practice bokuto. He's in summer terms (sword practice) at the moment. He's also considered in the bottom dregs of the class, barely qualifying.

……

**Notes: **

-Bokutō (木刀, "wood sword"): or more commonly known as a Bokken in the west, is a wooden sword used for training is several martial arts.

-Shinigami (死神**?**, "death kami"): Death Gods, Soul Reapers, are souls that protect the human world from Hollows and that lead people to Soul Society, a place reigned by souls in another dimension.

-Zanpakutō (斬魄刀**?**, literally "soul-cutting sword"): a weapon which reflects aspects of their soul and personality. (A/N: Mwahaha…)

-Zanjutsu (斬術, "Swordsmanship"; Cutting Technique): is the most used form of combat among Shinigami. As the name suggests, it involves using a _Zanpakutō_ and its various special abilities to attack an opponent. In addition to its basic form, each _Zanpakutō_ has two enhanced forms: Shikai (始解, _Initial Release_) and Bankai (卍解, _Final Release_), which change the sword's form to unlock its potential and that of its user.

-Shinōreijutsuin (精神的な芸術アカデミー, _Spiritual Arts Academy_), sometimes called the Shinigami Academy. Located in Seireitei, the academy trains future Shinigami for each of the three military arms of Soul Society.

-Rukongai (流魂街, _wandering soul city_): is the largest portion of Soul Society and the most populated. It is divided into 320 districts (80 in North Rukongai, 80 in West Rukongai, etc.), each numbered in descending order on how far they are from the center; this results in the higher-numbered (and farther) districts decaying into slums.

**-**Hanatarō Yamada (山田 花太郎, _Yamada Hanatarō_): is the 7th Seated officer of the Gotei 13's 4th Division, where he is also the leader of the 14th Advanced Relief Team (during the Ryouka Invasion of Seireitei). That said, in this he hails from the worst district in soul society, the South 80th. Hana has a past he doesn't like to talk about and is equally secretive about his personal life. Naruto is only aware of this because he's his Zanpakuto…and he recognizes the same qualities in Hana as he had himself when he lived. That means he also brings out the best _**and the worst**_ in Hana, such as his volcanic temper and cynical, sarcastic wit. One can't survive in the worst of the slums without having developed a few attitude quirks.

LJ 1/2/10, 3/20/10


	5. Deep Dive

**Sealed Deal **

By

LigerJager

…

Naruto © Masashi Kishimoto

Bleach © Kubo Tite

…

Chapter 5: Deep Dive

"'_You said we'd meet again, but when we did, we might not recognize each other... I think I understand. I see myself the way you remember me. And you see yourself the way I remember you.__' (Roxas) It hurt so much to watch you go, to be mortal again knowing that just like last time I was unable to save you and that the next time we meet you won't know me. And just like always, I am powerless to change anything."-_ _Hanatarō_

…

…

Soul Society

_Seireitei _

Shinōreijutsuin

_Mid-afternoon: Hanatarō's Dorm_

…

It was a Saturday.

One full week and a half after _The Incident_, as Hanatarō had summarily dubbed the reiatsu channeling exercise…and its results.

The young cadet groaned in annoyance, grabbed his pillow and pulled it over his head. He wanted sleep, damn it, and no one was going to disturb him.

Not even the annoying, persistent, stubborn, finger which was currently poking him in the shoulder was going to succeed if he had anything to say about it. Perhaps if he kept on ignoring him, he would eventually give up and leave him alone.

He should have known better.

'_Hanatarō-chan.'_ The whine was unmistakable. And it grated on him.

Hanatarō's fist just tightened on his pillow barrier. He was going to get his sleep. He was going to get his sleep. He was going to get his sleep…

After that rather disorienting day, which he concluded was a result of the twin head injuries he received, the young student believed that it was a dream. What else could it be?

He might not be the most promising or the most talented student, but even he could learn something just by watching the elderly commander. It was actually a great honor and privilege that the founder himself was actually leading an expedition in person. No one in their right mind would want to miss _the _Sotaicho of all shinigami.

"…"

Okay, so apparently he was the idiot out of his 'right' mind because he slept right through the morning reveille. And _apparently_ the **entire **academy was suspended for the day because of the event.

But in his defense he wouldn't have been in good shape for the excursion with his self-induced head trauma. In fact he had almost convinced himself that he was just exhausted from the exercise and had therefore slept right through the day. And that what had happened was just a dream.

…Which the blonde thoroughly disabused the notion as soon as he woke up in his dorm later that evening.

Hanatarō had decided that either the blonde was a figment of his imagination, a hallucination that somehow stayed with him after he passed out from reiatsu exhaustion after the exercise, or (and this was the most likely) he had somehow summoned his own personal ghost.

A poltergeist to be exact (how else was the…being able to touch him?). And while that sounded like it would be fun (in theory anyways), Hanatarō could readily beg to differ.

Which was an rather ironic thought. Mostly because he was a shinigami-in-training and was probably considered a spirit or ghost himself.

A Death God having his own personal haunting, it was a very ironic thought indeed.

Either way, he found that none of the above possibilities appealed to him in the slightest.

And the worst was that no one else could see the blonde. So whenever the apparition became unbearable, most people would stare at him because he would start yelling at nothing. Already several concerned students and teachers had approached him about it. To put it frankly, those were embarrassing conversations. The worst though was the bullying. It had grown to almost unbearable proportions.

So to avoid most of the ridicule, the young cadet had taken to hiding out in his room, the gardens and, most surprisingly, the practice fields where the students were allowed to test their Kidō. His tormentors probably thought he was holed up in some closet while they prowled the halls.

"Go away," his muffled whine filtered out from underneath his pillow barrier.

'_Oh? So you are awake after all?'_

"No. I'm asleep." He muffled again before turning on his side _towards_ the wall and specifically _away_ from his personal annoyance. He had tried to avoid any and all confrontations with his spectral visitor at all costs.

Not that it helped any.

Hanatarō felt the ghostly presence withdraw though he didn't disappear completely, alerting the academy student to the fact that he was still present within the room. The young cadet, partially awake, turned a groggy eye towards the blonde. His internal alarm was sounding warning bells.

"What are yo-"

His shrill cry promised bloody murder as it rang across the Shinōreijutsuin grounds. A thin trail of black smoke wafted through the air above the first year dorms.

…

Soul Society

_Seireitei _

Shinōreijutsuin

_Late Evening: __Kidō __Practice Fields_

…

Hanatarō glowered at the blonde. He was going to _kill_ him when this was over not that he hadn't tried already…_numerous_ times in fact. It was the very reason he spent the entire day chasing the ghost around the Academy grounds.

The culprit was standing there in the practice field like nothing in the world bothered him. Just taking in the smugly innocent countenance made his blood boil and just like that he felt his reiatsu gather in his hands just begging to be released.

Evidence enough.

His wonderful, relaxing Saturday, one of the few rare days where they were given a break from the Academy classes, had gone up in flames…literally.

How the fool managed that, he didn't know, but whatever he did cost him his favorite pillow and a burned tatami mat.

And his pajama top.

Now all he had were pajama bottoms and a strange nightcap that his unwanted blonde roommate had insisted he wore, though he had no idea where the blonde obtained it.

Personally he thought it was rather childish, but who was he to complain. A gift was a gift after all and he rarely, if ever, got any of those. Not since…anyways he thought it was the other male's way of apologizing to him. He just wished it didn't look like some kind of animal trying to eat his head.

Hanatarō was jarred out of his musings when his semi-transparent annoyance floated over to him. He could tell the blonde had something cooking in that mind of his, he just wasn't sure if he'd like whatever resulted from it.

The ninja watched the younger male through half-lidded eyes that shielded his thoughts. After that first day, the boy had clammed up rather nicely and he just couldn't pry anything from him.

'_Yet.'_ He was bound and determined to get the younger male to open up to him. Even ice-prince Uchiha had somewhat thawed before going rogue.

Movement returned the shinobi's attention back to his victim. The ninja watched amusedly as the student tipped his chin and straightened his back. It didn't take Hyuuga Neji to read that body language. Obviously the little guy thought he was going to tell him off.

"Look…you …you…" Hanatarō couldn't believe his tongue had failed him as he was at a loss for words. Fortunately his unwanted dorm-mate stepped in before he could trip over his own tongue any more.

'_Naruto.' _

Hanatarō blinked, "What?"

The blonde, for his part, just straightened and crossed his arms in front of his chest. He made sure to meet the black-haired student squarely in the eye.

'_My name is Naruto, use it.'_

"Sure. Right. Whatever you say, ghost-man." Hanatarō wasn't at all in the mood to feel accommodating. Naruto leaned towards the shinigami-to-be in exasperation.

'_Na-Ru-To.'_ Each syllable was punctuated with a finger poke to the chest. _'Say it.'_

"Why?" Hanatarō was feeling more than a bit defiant. He was irritated and tired. His sense of propriety was battered as he was only dressed in his sleeping pants and even they were in bad form. But most of all he felt beyond humiliated. The medic-to-be had run pell-mell all over the Academy grounds in nothing else and it drew more attention than he wanted.

And he didn't see the point. The man was a ghost after all. Said spirit blew out a sigh before glaring at the teen.

'_Just say it.'_

"Fine." He harrumphed, "Naruto."

He sent the spirit a dark glower, "There. Happy?"

'_Indubitably.'_

As the blonde had replied, Hanatarō got his first good look at the man. Normally he had been too busy running and studying for his classes to even spare the man a thought. Now, though, it seemed pertinent to know what made the man dress the way he did.

"What are you?" he wondered, earning him a strange look from his companion.

'_Me?'_ Naruto's surprise was more than evident, '_Isn't it obvious? I'm a ninja.'_

"Umm…"

'_Don't tell me you never heard of ninja before, you have got to have met some sometime, right? I mean lots of us die every day…'_ He trailed off. _'I guess we'll have to make another lesson of that later.' _

"What?" Naruto paid him no mind and continued on. Hanatarō sulked a little, annoyance and confusion circulating through his mind.

'_Since it seems you are in a place of learning,'_ he quickly hid his grimace of remembered pain, _'I decided to help your studies along.'_

"Lucky me." The cadet muttered. The ninja blatantly ignored the grumbling.

'_Now we are going to learn about chakra.' _Naruto magnanimously announced flinging his arms wide open and spinning around excitedly. He missed the flat look Hanatarō sent him.

"Catra? What's that?" He unknowingly made the same mistake Naruto had in his life. Though the shinobi could chalk it up to a bad education, the cadet had no such excuse. The shinobi couldn't help the snicker that came out.

'_Chakra.'_ The ninja corrected. At the point blank look he was receiving, Naruto stopped snickering and tilted his head with a look of puzzlement, _'don't you have chakra here?'_

They must have had it. He had seen a few other of these 'shinigami-in-training' out here earlier using something like jutsu, only they had they ridiculously long chants.

"Well," Hanatarō's mind worked overtime, they had covered that in shinigami basics, "we have something called reiryoku. It's what we use to cast, umm, Kidō." It was the cadet's turn to receive a point blank stare from his companion.

"You know?...Spells?"

'_Like justu?'_ the blonde surmised, trying to decipher the foreign word.

"What's jutsu?"

Naruto palmed his face. They were getting nowhere, _'Alright. What is this reiryoku?'_ Something obviously wasn't translating.

The student looked to be at a loss as to what to say. He hadn't quite understood the introductory theory the way they explained it. He did get the gist of it though.

"Well, reiryoku is…how'd they explain it? Ah!" Hanatarō snapped his fingers, "It's spiritual energy. We, shinigami, use that energy to cast spells on our opponents…I think."

'_Spiritual energy, huh?' _Naruto adopted a thoughtful expression, his index finger tapping his chin in thought, 'Well, we shinobi use spiritual and physical energy to make chakra-'

"Physical," Hanatarō interrupted, "That isn't possible."

He received a bewildered look from the ninja. Did the man really not know _anything_?

'_Why not?'_ Naruto's puzzled

"But we're not _'living'_ beings, we don't have physical bodies."

'_Then what is __**this**__…' _the ninja once again commenced poking. Hanatarō swatted the offending appendage away.

"Stop that!" his irritation became visible, "As I said we aren't technically alive in the mortal sense."

'_Perhaps I'm phrasing this wrong then,' _the enigmatic ninja muttered, _'spiritual energy can be equated to mental energy. So you have both mental and physical energy.' _

"Like I said, we don't have physical bodies."

'_And I say,'_ the blonde scowled and smacked the shinigami-in-training on the head, _'what's_ _**this?'**_

"Ow! Would you stop that!"

'_Not until you answer my question.' _

"What questio-OW! Okay, Okay, I get it. This-" the pajama pant wearing teen gestured towards himself, "-is my body."

'_Good. Now all we have to do is trained you to combine physical and mental energy and BAM,' _Naruto clapped his hands for emphasis, _'you get chakra.'_

"I think we are not communicating here." "How many times do I have to tell you that I can't because I don't have a physical body, I'm dead."

'_So? So am I and that never stopped me.' _

Hanatarō eyed the man skeptically. He wasn't like any dead soul he'd ever met before, and living where he had, Hanatarō was sure he knew what newly deceased looked like.

'So follow my instruction and you'll see.' The teen just threw his hands up in the air, in exasperation, and mirrored the ninja's movements. The blonde's voice smoothly directed him into what he was supposed to do, create, draw out, and mold chakra. Hanatarō couldn't help but make one last jab.

"This is going to fail."

'_Just do it.' _

"Fine."

He had no idea what was going on or what was happening, but he did know that he felt a rush of something, it could only be described as liquid power, and that it exploded outwards from his body. It wasn't reiryoku that had a light, airy feeling.

This was wild, uncontrollable…heavy. It was like nothing he'd ever felt before. Had the teen been to the world of the living, he'd have compared it to force of a hurricane. As it was it left the teen gasping for air.

Naruto had felt a slight welling of pride in his chest when he saw the telltale, wild arcs of Chakra explode from his impromptu student in much the same way it had for him. That alone told him the boy was going to be a monster…just like him. Hanatarō's voice brought the ninja's thoughts back to the present.

"This…" Hanatarō's astonishment and disbelief were evident, "this shouldn't be possible."

'_But it is.' _

"No it isn't."

'_Do you want to know why?'_ Hanatarō nodded, bewilderment still adorning his features, _'It's because you have the wrong perspective.' _

"What?"

'_You were thinking in terms of living and, well, not. As long as you…manifest in some 'physical' form, you will always be able to mold chakra…provided you have the mental energy to mix. Otherwise…' _Naruto trailed off.

"Otherwise?" The cadet prompted.

'_Otherwise you'll only be harnessing half of the power, like everyone else.'_

"How do you know that?" Hanatarō pressed. The question brought Naruto up short, causing a thoughtful look to overtake his features.

'_Ya know, I don't know…well, not really.'_ He replied with a casual shrug, _'I can kind of guess a certain amount of power and what not, not a skill I was really good at when I was alive mind you, but I couldn't tell you anything exact. What I can say is that the shinigami who chant,'_ Naruto held his fingers up and made quotations gestures at the word 'chant', _'lose an excess of about half of their energy because their reiryoku don't have a stabilizing factor.'_

'_At least that sounded professional-ish.' _Naruto haplessly thought. He could only guess at levels and feel the expelled excess. Hopefully that answered cadet's questions.

'_So, have a seat and let the lessons commence.'_

Hanatarō sighed and hunkered down into the grass. He had caught the determined glint in his self-employed mentor's eyes and had a sinking feeling. This was going to be a long day.

* * *

_::Tsuzuku::_

_

* * *

_

A/N: **Fair Warning:** From now on, I will have a Pre-Bleach Timeline and a list of terms with explanations at the end of every chapter. That way you can refer it when you are confused about something in the story. Just be warned that it will make the chapters seem longer than they really are.

…

You guys have no idea how much all of your reviews and speculations make me want cackle evilly… oh, wait, I do that anyways.

Anyways, I would like to make one thing clear about our dear medic, he _**is **_a_** nobody**_ to the higher echelons. And even though he'll eventually be a seated peon, he is in the 4th division…which sadly says it all. Even the most open minded of the upper ranks will pass him over at a glance (if they notice him). Of course the flipside of this is it's perfect for his 'awesome-ninja-ness'…

(I had no idea Hana-chan had such a fan following, *chuckles nervously*)

…

Everyone, please lend your support to and acclamations to the Authoress: _**Defiant Vixen**_ and her story **A Woman Behind These Clothes**. It partially reignited my interest in this story. So please give her your support.

…

LJ 11/15/09, 3/22/10, 6/26/10, 7/28/10

…

**Timeline (for Sealed Deal, **_**not exactly precise with Manga canon**_**): **

-Yamada Hanatarō is sent to Soul Society (217 years), survives the 80th South for the next 106 years

-Yamada Hanatarō is discovered and tested (dragged bodily) to the Academy, 1 week prior to it starting (111 years)

-Yamada Hanatarō & Ichimaru Gin Begin Academy (111 years)

-Ichimaru Gin graduates (110 years), Turn Back the Pendulum: Begins (Ch 97-108) (110.5 years)

-Hikifune Kirio, Captain of the 12th Division is promoted to the Royal Guard (Zero Division) (110.5 Years)

-Urahara Kisuke is promoted to Twelfth Division Taicho (110 years)

-Yamada Hanatarō unintentionally summons his zanpakuto spirit (Uzumaki Naruto) on his first try with a practice Bokken, a feat that should be impossible. (109.5 years)

-Aizen Sōsuke successfully hides his experimentation with Hollowfication and recruits Ichimaru Gin (109.5 years)

-Yamada Hanatarō graduates the Academy, unseated shinigami of the 4th Division (105 years)

-Shiba Kaien agrees to become Fuku-Taicho for the 13th Division (103 years)

-Urahura Kisuke failed in saving the Vizards from Hollowfication, is framed and banished (100.5 years)

-Kuchiki Rukia is assigned to the 13th Division (64 years)

-Shiba Miyako (Kaien's wife) was murdered by the Hollow Metastacia (63 years)

-Kurosaki Ichigo is born (16 years; July 15)

-Kurosaki Karin and Yuzu are born (11 years; May 6)

-Kurosaki Masaki is murdered by the Hollow Grand Fisher while saving 9 year old Ichigo's life (7 years)

-Bleach begins: Ichigo is fifteen almost sixteen years old (0 years)

…

_**Notes **__(provided, with a few personal modifications, by Bleach Wiki): _

-Bokutō (木刀, "wood sword"): or more commonly known as a Bokken in the west, is a wooden sword used for training is several martial arts.

-Shinigami (死神?, "death kami"): Death Gods, Soul Reapers, are souls that protect the human world from Hollows and that lead people to Soul Society, a place reigned by souls in another dimension.

-Zanpakutō (斬魄刀?, literally "soul-cutting sword"): a weapon which reflects aspects of their soul and personality. (A/N: Mwahaha…)

-Reiatsu (霊圧, _Spiritual Pressure_): is the physical force/pressure that a person's Reiryoku creates when released. Otherwise it's shown as the possessing power that could be literally felt within the atmosphere.

-Reiryoku (霊力, _Spiritual Power_): is a power aligned with the spiritual sensitivity and willpower of the user. It is used by Shinigami to provide power for their various feats and to effectively channel the powers of their Zanpakutō. It can also be used to cast Kidō, magic spells created by the Shinigami. Reiryoku can even be coalesced into a physical form and thrown or shot as a projectile. As a display of potency, spiritual beings have the ability to incapacitate the opponent's movement and simultaneously frighten them, by means of dispersing Reiryoku into the air.

-Zanjutsu (斬術, "Swordsmanship"; Cutting Technique): is the most used form of combat among Shinigami. As the name suggests, it involves using a _Zanpakutō_ and its various special abilities to attack an opponent. In addition to its basic form, each _Zanpakutō_ has two enhanced forms: Shikai (始解, _Initial Release_) and Bankai (卍解, _Final Release_), which change the sword's form to unlock its potential and that of its user.

-Kidō (鬼道, "demon way", or "spirit way" sometimes translated as Demon Arts: Soul Reaper's powers): is the technique that Shinigami use to focus their Spiritual Energy into magic spells of various powers. These spells serve a wide variety of uses such as healing, defense, or combat.

-Hakuda (白打, _hakuda_; lit. white hits): Hand-to-hand combat is not elaborated upon by most Shinigami. Physical strength and skill is determined by this class. It seems to be a combination of several martial arts.

-Hohō (歩法, _hohō_; lit. step method): sometimes described as Agility, is a basic and important skill for most Shinigami. Though never stated clearly it most likely relates to the Shinigami ability to walk on air using spiritual power. By collecting and solidifying Reishi beneath their feet, Shinigami can gain traction on thin air to either freely move about or to stop themselves from falling. The agility and speed of Hohō can be enhanced and improved through mastery of it, concentration, and training. (A/N: Apparently Hana-kun has no talent for this…according to Bleach Wiki (*snickers*))

- Shunpo (瞬歩, _Flash steps_): a movement technique that allows the user to move faster than the eye can follow. The focal point that determines the bases of this technique is speed. As speed is the main point of the technique the method is best characterized by how fast one can get from point A to point B in the least amount of steps. Training and skill are what determines how fast a user of shunpo can move; those of little skill in the technique or those who haven't used it an extended amount of time would obviously be out of practice, causing those individuals to be considerably slower, which requires the use of more steps to move the same distance and become winded far easier in a shorter amount of time.

-Senka (閃花, _Flash Blossom_): a special shunpo technique where one moves to their opponents back. Directly attacking and sealing one's "Saketsu" and "Hakusui" in one strike. The movement is so fast that an opponent may not be able to tell whether he was attacked from the front or the back and even an outside observer may find it impossible to tell what the movements are.

-Shinōreijutsuin (精神的な芸術アカデミー, _Spiritual Arts Academy_), sometimes called the Shinigami Academy. Located in Seireitei, the academy trains future Shinigami for each of the three military arms of Soul Society.

-Seireitei (瀞霊廷, _court of pure souls_) is in the center of Soul Society. It is a circular shiro with four main entrances, ten days walk apart, each guarded by a Gate Guardian. These gates are called the Black Ridge Gate (in the North), the Blue Stream Gate (in the East), the Red Hollow Gate (in the South) and the White Way Gate (in the West).

-Rukongai (流魂街, _wandering soul city_): is the largest portion of Soul Society and the most populated. It is divided into 320 districts (80 in North Rukongai, 80 in West Rukongai, etc.), each numbered in descending order on how far they are from the center; this results in the higher-numbered (and farther) districts decaying into slums.

-Yamada Hanatarō (山田 花太郎, _Yamada Hanatarō_): is the 7th Seated officer of the Gotei 13's 4th Division, where he is also the leader of the 14th Advanced Relief Team (during the Ryouka Invasion of Seireitei). That said, in this he hails from the worst district in soul society, the South 80th. Hana has a past he doesn't like to talk about and is equally secretive about his personal life. Naruto is only aware of this because he's his Zanpakuto…and he recognizes the same qualities in Hana as he had himself when he lived.


End file.
